First to Market
Where some just see a problem, entrepreneurs sense a business opportunity.
An impressive example of management providing effectivesolutions for pressing social problems is the emergence of Internetsafeguard services that parents can use to protect their childrenfrom potentially dangerous Internet sites and services. Firms likeCyberPatrol, CYBERsitter and Net Nanny quickly emerged in response to thecries of parents to protect their children from pornography, chatrooms that might be unfriendly to children and other adult-orientedWeb-based fare.
History suggests that government regulation lags market realityby a number of years. It might have taken the federal governmentanother five years to pass and enforce legislation thataccomplished what these Internet safeguard firms did quickly inresponse to consumer demand. What many decried as an impossiblesocial problem has proved to be a great business opportunity formany, as well as an effective social solution.
Excerpted from Ben Franklin's 12 Rules of Management
